Dr. Dog-B-Room

Pretty much every time Philly’s scrappy indie-soul rockers Dr. Dog drop a new album you can expect tight three and four-part harmonies, Beatles and Beach Boys-inspired melodies for miles, and a back and forth vocal play between lead dogs Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken. What you shouldn’t expect is some drastic difference in their mission […]

Diana-Perpetual Surrender

Diana are a Canadian synth pop band comprised of members of other Canadian bands, though not all are synth pop. That is inconsequential for you to truly enjoy their debut Perpetual Surrender. What is consequential is that you love synth pop, or at the very least occasionally get the itch to listen to Thompson Twins, […]

The Dodos-Carrier

I’ve loved The Dodos ever since I first heard their second album Visitor back in 2008. What I heard in their brand of jumpy, manic, acoustic pop made me think of watching a little kid using his imagination to entertain himself. Boundless energy, conviction to the task at hand. That task? Well, for that little […]

The Polyphonic Spree- Yes, It’s True

The Polyphonic Spree has always had this air of overwhelming positivity. Even on their darkest album, 2007s The Fragile Army, despite the black jumpsuits and black eyeliner they came across as pensive, yet hopeful. I think that quality has always endeared me to them. Tim DeLaughter and Wayne Coyne are like the opposite sides of […]

Music on a Wednesday

I haven’t written much on music the last couple days. I’ve been busy and haven’t had the proper time to discuss and reflect. Plus, this heat we’ve had this week has pretty much knocked me on my ass. So tonight I’m gonna talk about a couple albums I received from the UK courtesy of Death […]

Franz Ferdinand-Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action

How many of you like me were enamored with Franz Ferdinand back in 2004? It’s hard to describe, but something about that debut album lit a post-punk fuse in me. I’d just begun listening to Gang of Four and had dabbled in The Jam as well. These cats were just the right modern take on […]

White Hills-So You Are…So You’ll Be

White Hills are one of those bands that are pretty much fearless. They’ve run the gamut on their records over the years from Sabbath gut busters to spaced-out Hawkwind to Tangerine Dream-esque ambient interludes. And the crazy thing is that they can pull them all off quite well. Their 2010 double album H-p1 seems to […]

Outfit-Performance

I think most folks know a little something about Liverpool, England. Well, unless you were born after 1990 or you’ve been living under a rock for the last 50 years. Either way, here’s a little history lesson for the uninformed. Liverpool has given us more bands than just The Beatles. Gerry and the Pacemakers, Echo […]

No Age-An Object

What is it that No Age is so angry about? I keep listening to An Object and I’m wondering who rained on their parade? I mean, they’ve always had this angst-y vibe about them. Everything In Between seemed to be the point where they found the perfect balance of angst and rebellion mixed with a […]

Medicine-To The Happy Few

When you hear a song like “Long As The Sun” -the opener on Medicine’s excellent new album To The Happy Few– you don’t think that this is a band that has essentially been stored in moth balls for 18 years. You think you’re hearing The Beach Boys ran through the Jesus and Mary Chain warpulator. […]